Car design chief Andrea Zagato looks back before the big leap forward
In Kuwait to mark the 50th anniversary of the DB4 GT, Andrea Zagato talks about the company's heritage with Aston Martin, consumerism and the future of car design.
If you watch closely, you can see it. It is the moment just before a car is revealed, when the assembled press, hardened reporters and grizzled photographers alike, lean perceptibly forward to catch a glimpse of the new creation, a great, heaving mass of humanity hoping to see greatness.
Andrea Zagato is no stranger to this phenomenon. The chief executive of the storied Milanese design agency that was established nearly a century ago by his grandfather Ugo, he's on-hand to gauge the reaction to his latest design, the V12 Zagato in production trim at the Kuwait Concours D'Elegance last week. Taking a break from the judging of the event, he explains that the car was designed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original DB4 GT Zagato.
"It is also the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the collaboration between Aston Martin and Zagato," he recalls. "A 50th anniversary is always important. What would be significant? The idea came out to do a car that starts as a racing car but could also win a Concours D'Elegance. So we planned to go to the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este [held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy], and one week later to race in the Nürburgring."
With Aston Martin's model lineup stretching from roadsters to saloons, the choice of car was crucial - and Zagato knew that only the V12 Vantage could fulfil his guidelines of being compact and easy to drive.
"When we did the DB7, Zagato shortened the wheelbase. Instead of doing that to the DBS or DB9, the package of the V12 was already perfect so we didn't have to intervene or change anything. Plus, if you want to race, the car has to be fully tested on the track so, in this case, we had an already proven car as well. That was the donor car we decided to work on," he says.
Design work for the car was split between Zagato's team and Aston's in-house group, led by Marek Reichmann, although he bristles at the thought that either group can claim credit for the final design.
"There is no competition between our designer and the client designers. Marek Reichmann had to transfer the 'Aston Martin-ness' and we had to transfer the 'Zagato-ness'. Everybody had a task," he confirms.
"There was a little bit of healthy competition because this is in the tradition of Zagato. We don't want to demonstrate that we are better than our clients in designing their cars - we just want to say that we are better in designing Zagatos."
That's not to say the design process was incident-free. While the finished car contains a number of Zagato design cues, including the double-bubble roof and the enlarged front air intake, the tail proved to be a bone of contention.
"Should it be a truncated Kamm tail or a more elegant, smooth tail? Would it need a rear wing? At the end, Marek convinced us that the round, low tail was more elegant and that a rear wing in carbon fibre would fit the car. In the end, we agreed on 98 per cent of the car; the last decision was the tail," he laughs.
"And it's not that I don't like round-tail cars. We did one on the Bentley Zagato, another is the Alfa Romeo SZ Round Tail Coupé."
It's not the first time a Zagato design has debuted in the Middle East. The Italian company, which also works with various transportation companies, designed the pod cars at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. But here in Kuwait, the focus is on Zagato's sexier vehicles. The 2009 Bentley is on display at the Kuwait show, as well as another of his creations, the TZ3 Stradale, built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo last year. Not many will be aware that the low, stunning coupé is built on the underpinnings of something very un-Italian - the Dodge Viper.
"When Sergio Marchionne [Fiat CEO] decided to raise shares in Chrysler, we started thinking that a new generation of cars will be built on shared platforms with Chrysler and Dodge, the most astonishing and famous of which is the Viper. The Viper is very wide, low and has side-exiting exhaust pipes, while the bonnet goes around the engine. It inspired us to do a TZ of the third millennium based on the Viper."
A new Viper is set to arrive very shortly - and Zagato admits that he is keen to put his stamp on the new car with a bespoke version.
"I haven't asked yet and don't want to interfere because they first have to do the car," he says. "But it makes sense. We broke the idea of having an American chassis and engine with an Italian design and brand [with the TZ3]. It's something that can easily happen."
While the look of a Zagato is unmistakable, modern car designers are often accused of creating homogeneous designs that are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Zagato believes it's a case of differing levels of freedom - but he has sympathy for his colleagues in the mass market.
"Today, you have to distinguish consumable car design from collectable car design. For consumable car design, it involves clinic tests, focus groups, to revise your design 100 times and, at the end, marketing guides you to a certain result. Everybody tends to go to the same results, because clinic and focus groups give you the same answers."
But computers, he says, are not to blame. "That's a myth. It's because it's guided by a marketing brief and designed for the masses - and the masses all have the same tastes. You don't want to do the most beautiful car, you want to do the car that everyone likes, which is completely different.
"When you work in a niche, you have much more freedom. Somebody might call it the ugliest car they've ever seen, somebody might be completely in love. What you try to invoke is passion and a reaction."
With typical Italian grace, he hammers the point home with a painting analogy.
"You have two techniques. One is oil - with oil painting you can go over what you have already painted many times and refinish many times until your painting is ready - this is typical of consumables. If you paint with enamel, something that dries quickly, you have to be quick and emotional and, if you make a mistake, you don't care, because it's part of the emotion you give to the painting. Even if there is a little mistake or something not really refined, it's the beauty of the car."
Sadly, the emotional way isn't as profitable as it used be, and traditional coachbuilders are a dying breed. Zagato itself was sold to Coventry Prototype Panels last year, becoming part of the Spyker portfolio owned by Vladimir Antonov.
"Think of a coachbuilder as an assembly company that builds a car in the traditional way. First is the complication of the product," he begins. "Every product is becoming more and more complicated. Second, most of the major manufacturer assembly lines are very flexible, like the Japanese who invented lean production.
"Unions also don't like it very much when you bring a job that can be done by your own workers outside.
"These reasons are why it's impossible for me to see again the coachbuilder as an assembly line," he states firmly.
"For me, it's gone back to the original 'atelier' or workshop scenario - concentrating on designing and making very low-volume cars, of a maximum of 1,000 units. To me, this way has potential."
It is interesting to note that Zagato's latest creation exists as a modern interpretation of a classic design - a motif that can be applied to the entire automotive industry as a whole. Mini, Mustang, Camaro, Pullman - retro fever refuses to subside. But, Zagato says, this period of reinvention is normal just before a historic leap forward.
"Normally a big revolution in communication is followed by a big revolution in transportation. We expect a big change from internal combustion engines to hybrids, electric and fuel cell vehicles. So before approaching something you don't understand, people celebrate the past. We are doing the same, using iconic cars like the Cinquecento, the Mini, Mustang and Corvette. It will never end.
"In this scenario, the name of the model becomes more important than the name of the company. Beetle is more important than Volkswagen, Cinquecento is a more important, iconic brand than Fiat. Everybody doesn't know Piaggio, but everyone knows Vespa. So the Cinquecento can be electric or fuel cell-based - who cares? It's a Cinquecento," he explains.
So will there be a hybrid Zagato in the future? The answer, he laughs, is obvious.
"Why not? We are a case designer, so we design a case for the mechanicals. It can be electric or electromechanical - we don't care."
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
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Favourite country to visit: Italy
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INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship When: November 21-24 Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Tickets:www.ticketmaster.ae.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
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Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
New schools in Dubai
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.
Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)
Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.
Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)
Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
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FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
Get a service history for cars less than five years old
Don’t go cheap on the inspection
Check for oil leaks
Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
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Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
Matches are live on BeIN Sports
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
